DOWN AND OUT ... MIchael Owen hits the deck shortly before he hobbled offMICHAEL CARRICK hit the winner and Michael Owen limped off as United came from behind to seal another Champions League win.
German champions Wolfsburg huffed and puffed but they failed to blow Alex Ferguson's house down and the Red Devils sit proudly on top of Group B with maximum points.
It wasn't a vintage night at Old Trafford and it took a headed goal from Wolfsburg's giant Edin Dzeko in the 55th minute to spark United into life.
A freakish deflection from a Ryan Giggs' free-kick got them level three minutes later before Carrick's composed side-foot clincher with quarter of an hour left.
The evening had started with all expectant eyes at Old Trafford - including those of England manager Fabio Capello - on Michael Owen.
But the striker, who had stated his intentions to impress the Italian prior to the game, barely touched the ball before he hobbled off with a groin injury after 20 uneventful minutes.
The early switch looked precautionary for Owen but it made for the early arrival of Dimitar Berbatov, who became the fulcrum for everything United created in the first half.
Within five minutes he had crafted a glorious chance for Antonio Valencia, but the Ecuador winger dragged his shot wide after latching on to the Bulgarian's deft touch.
Berbatov was at his magical best again on the half-hour, slipping Michael Carrick through only for Diego Benaglio to block with his right leg.
United were far from their best but at least were beginning to create chances.
Berbatov couldn't control his half-volley from a Giggs' lobbed cross.
And Wayne Rooney produced a weak side-foot finish when again set-up by the silky Bulgarian.
After Ben Foster's shaky performances, Tomasz Kuszczak got the nod in goal but he barely had a save to make as Wolfsburg's free-scoring strike partnership of Dzeko and Grafite failed to make an impression early on.
However, the Germans were more lively after the break and Ricardo Costa had a terrific chance within two minutes of the restart, timing his run to perfection to get on the end of a corner, only to skew his volley high and wide.
Anderson was set up by Rooney but his left-foot strike from 18 yards was palmed away by the impressive-looking Benaglio.
It was then the German champs took the lead. Makoto Hasebe floated over a cross and 6ft 5inch Dzeko towered above Patrice Evra at the back-post to head past Kuszczak.
Giggs equalised with his 150th United goal just three minute later. His free-kick from the right hand corner of the area looked on target but it took a horrible deflection off the head of Christian Gentner to wrong-foot Benaglio and nestle in the corner.
If that was a fluke, Carrick's winner was a classy finish. Berbatov played in Giggs who poked the ball back for the England midfielder to curl in his first European goal for two-and-a-half years.
Fletcher replaced Valencia with 10 minutes left and substitute Obafemi Martins made a return to the English scene as Wolfsburg tried to hit back but United hung on for the win.
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